------------------------------------------------------------------- F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library and preservational electronic archive. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ===================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------- ===================================================================== Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library August 5, 1994 Please find enclosed F.'~CTNet's response to your/hture contacts Jonathan Lubell (Scientology's attorney who is handling Scientology's suicide report negotiations with FACTNet) and Lynn Famey of the OSA. This response contains information on the proper form to submit 3,our protest report to FACTNet. Other than the form letter nature of >,our letter(s) and the fact of all such similar letters arri~,ed at FACTNet at about the same time, the most disturbing thing is that no current complaining Scientotogist or Scientology celebrity has shown the courage, organizational independence, or integrity to demand Scientology start a public investigation. This investigation would cover all secret or non secret files Scientolo~' possesses to summarize any and all reports of attempted suicide, suicide, psychotic and neurotic episodes by members receiving or who had recently received Scientology services. This investigation must include questionnaires to all current and past staff members asking them specifically about files or information being destroyed by the GO, OSA, or others which contained such reports. If in surveying only a few thousand ex-Scientologists we can turn up this much information there may be a ve~, dangerous problem in Scientology and people may be dying because of it. FACTNet has compiled between 200-300 of such reports and more reports continue to come in each month like the new Scottish suicide and the Steven Mercer story. Steven Mercer was a Scientologist who recently flipped out and killed his father (a former state lawmaker and gubematonal candidate) while mumbling about L, Ran. This rapidly accumulating new information further compels you to challenge your organization. If there is a hidden Waco and Jonestown that has slowing being accumulating over the past 40 years you are under the strongest moral and humanitarian imperative which transcends your Scientology membership to get your organization to reveal all before others may die. Besides preparing your report according to the Lubell letter specifications I invite you to get on our BBS and enter your thoughts and opinions and in the Scientology conference read the tragic report of Phil Valinski's death and cover-up by Gerry .zxa-rnstrong as well as the sworn affidavits of other former high level members. This could be happening to people you knew, know, or your family. If you really still have a mind of your own you will take up this challenge ff you don't you will consider this entheta and dismiss your personal responsibility and let Scientology continue to do your thinking for you. Lawrence Wotlersheirn ,,/~,nd ,,,f/' ,4/fl~ ZL6'c"o,,'/ "Only you have the right to control your mind" ===================================================================== May 26, 1994 Dear Mr. Lubell, FACTNet is currently preparing summary reports on the hidden casualty, rates and alleged crimes committed by Scientology over the last 40 years. These summary.. reports w'fil be presented to the proper national and intemational government bodies who have previously or are currently doing investigations into your client as well a~s to other parties currently or soon to be involved in litigation with your client. Part of these investigations involve former member and investigator reports of suicide, attempted suicide, or becoming psychotic while receiving Scientology services. The number of these reports received from our tiny January 3rd mailing and that are still coming in is most alarming. They have convinced us your client has potentially a huge future liability beyond an3~g it has faced previously. We w'dl not curtad or slow our collection,.. verification, summary, and analysis of these reports. All the investigation allegation questionnaires that have gone out or w'fil go out have the proper disclaimers andNor correction notices. (The local district attorney has reviewed our disclaimers and sees no reason to pursue your complaints further. ) Any action by your client to crush or interfere with these investigations will be grounds for SLAPP, malicious prosecution, conspiracy, and other lawsuits. Any action by your client to crush or interfere with these investigations will only serve to draw more publicity and moral and financial support to us fi3r our As your client has already offered to participate in these investigations it would now be most embarrassing to withdraw from that course. We will allow your client to contribute information to the investigation and or offer its opinions and\or corrections for public dialog and review. On our BBS we have created a "Scientology Response Conference." We have already scanned and posted the materials Mr. Farney has sent us plus the "Form" letters we allegedly received from in 'dxvidual Scientologists. (Not one compla'mt has come into us that was not in this all at once "form letter") In the interests of promoting open dialog on conflicting opinions and reports (which is one 9fFACTNet's main purposes,) we are giving your client 100 Finally, All corrections must be in the form of a single notarized affida~,it each correction request with a drivers license type photo ID of the person offering corrections attached. When we receive your clients corrections in this format we will begin the verification process. If we find after complete investigation that an error has been made on our investigation we will immediately correct all future mailings and post the correction to our BBS. While we are awaiting your reports in this new tbrmat in good faith we are posting all the information that has been thus far been sent to us so the public can discuss and formulate opinions about it and begin dialog on the difference of opinions in our investigation and your unverified correction requests. Regarding the 15 or 20 some form letters we received from "independent" Scientologists such as Stephanie and Christopher Silcock., L Epstein, David Laubscher etc., we are not rep~,ing to these letters independently other than through you to IVh-. Farney. IVlr. Famey can then pull out his program checklist and recontact each of the individuals he appears to have simultaneously ordered to send these letters to us and he can let them know how to resubmit their information to us in the proper format fro verification. I have also included a copy of David IVliscavige's and the OSA's cowardly anonymous report on FACTNet which may show up new litigation and in the media. This shoot the messenger divert attention from examining the message tactic is now in the official Scientology Response Conference on our BBS. This document is an archetypal example of the new reformed Scientology. This is the perfect new public relations piece for a church doing charitable work to show the world what it really is. In conclnsion, to better serve the verification process which your client has offered to be a part of, our legal policy is 1 .) all communication is in writing from Scientology. Regarding investigation corrections we will accept no phone calls from Scientologists or church officials or attorneys, 2.) At our d'kscretion we will either not reply or we will refer all letters from "independent" Scientologlsts back to Scientology's attorneys to be returned to their client without a reply from us if they do not meet the verification format we have requested in this letter, 3.) Answers to communications involving legal matters will take on the average from 30-60 days to process. Lawrence Wollersheim ===================================================================== M o~xsoN C~HE~ S~SG~ & Wnx~s 750 LEXINGTON AVENUE NKw YORK, N.Y. IoOzp_ [212) 735-86cI0 II'AC~IMILE: [ll~.l/'35-87~14~ IfRITERøS D~RLCT DIAL NUMBER: (212) 735 g659 April 26, 1994 CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED P 498 228 926 F.A.C.T. Net, Inc. c/o Lawrence D. Wollersheim 121 High Parkway Golden, Colorado 80~03 Dear Sir/Madam: On January 27, 1994 I sent you and Mr. Wollersheim identical letters putting you on notice that your F.A.C.T. Net publication contains false and defamatory material n:garding the Church of Scientology International as well as regarding Scientology parishioners. This letter was received hy you on January 31, 1994. In that letter I presented a demand ~at F.A.C,T. Net halt dissemination of its defamatory publication and that it publish a retraction of the specified falsehoods. I have received no response to that letter. In the interest of resoIving this matter without litigation, I herewith formally request that you provide me with a ,'tspons= indicating whether or not F.A.C.T. Net intontis to comply with the two points specified above. It is unquestionable that the statermmts specified in my letter of January 271h arc false and F.A.C.T. Net April 26, 1994 Page 2 d~famatory. Please let me know promptly what actions you and F.A.C.T. Net intend to tak~ to rectify this matter. Very truly yours, ~ FVqL:cle J~Lubell co: Robert Trudeau Penny d_-,/ 6962 Miro Court Longmont, CO 80501 via Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested P 498 228 927 Lawrence D, Wollershgim ]21 High Parkway Golden, CO 80403 via Certified Mall Return Receipt Requited P 498 228 928 Jon Atack Avalon Cranston Road East Grinstea~ Sussex RH 19 3HG, England via Certif'~d Mail Return Receipt Requested P 498 228 929 ===================================================================== 23 August 1994 FACTNet Attention: Mr. Lawrence Wellersheim 601 16th Street, Suite C-217 Golden, CO 80403 Re: "Death, Psychosis and Scientology" Dear Mr. Wollersheim; I received in the mail your form letter of 6 August 1994; your 8-page brochure; your leaflet entitled, Imagine the New Scientobgy World Order...; your leaflet entitled, When Did you Last Get Through the Morning Without a Good Rationalization?; your brochure entitled, Check Your Desired 5cientobgy Project Contribution; and Types of Tax Deductible Contributions. I was shocked and appalled that you would respond to my last letter to you in this manner. I wrote to you on 26 July 1994, demanding that you take immediate action to remove any reference to my parents, Lola and Ben Rossouw, from your flyer and from your computerized bulletin board service. I am hereby reiterating my demand that you take immediate action to remove the false information on my parents from your published materials and computerized bulletin board service. Please respond in a coherent manner. Your so called procedures for removing the outrageous references to my parents are ridiculous and are nothing but a stalling technique. If I don't hear from you immediately that the offending material has been removed, I will act on the basis that you have no intention of correcting the false and defamatory allegations. David Laubscher ===================================================================== August 26, 1994 Lawrence Wollersheim 601 Sixteenth Street #C-217 Goldend. Colorado 80401 Dear Mr. Wollersheim: Your letter of August 5, 1994 was apparently in response to my letter to you demanding that you remove the false information you spread about me in the document, "Corrections and Additions to the January 3, 1994 Questionnaire 'Death, Psychosis and Scientology' " You do not even bother to address the specific demand in my letter. Upon the advice of my attorney, I am hereby repeating my demand to you that my name be immediately removed from all of your publications and computerized bulletin board service. Your expectation that I will submit the "proper form" is absurd, as you must know. The false information you published about me was completely unfounded and was libellous. I do not intend to allow this ongoing libel to go uncorrected, and I do not intend to follow your unjustified rules for getting it corrected. I expect to receive confirmation from you by return mail that all references to me have been removed from your computerized system. ~ S1 eFe , ===================================================================== 26 July 1994 FACTNet Attention= Lorry Wollersheim 601 16th Street, Suite ›-217 Golden, CO 80403 Re: "Death, Psychosis and Scientology" Dear Mr. Wollersheim; I wrote to you on March 30, 1994 regarding the false information you have circulated concerning my mother and my step-father, Lola and Bert Rossouw. The flyer that you circulated alleges that they had psychotic episodes while on Scientology auditing. In my letter, I asked for the specific details of these reported "incidents". I also asked that if specific details could not be provided, that I receive a written apology along with confirmation that any references to my mother and step-father have been completely removed from your document. As you have failed to respond to my letter, I can only assume that your allegation was made with malicious intent. I hereby demand that you take immediate action to remove any reference to Lola and Bert Rossouw from your flyer and any document you may have in your computerized bulletin board service. If I do not hear from you in ten days, I will be forced to take the appropriate legal action. Sincerely,~ DavidL~au~scher ===================================================================== Frances ]. Godwin ! 3517 VenCura Blvd. #7 Sherman Oaks, CA. 91423 (8! 8) 995-3460 April 5, 1994 Dear FACTNet, I have been notified that I am a subject of your more recent newsletter. I have attached the copy of what I was sent. Since you have stated that you intend to clean up inaccuracies of your data I request that you withdraw the incorrect and slanderous information about me immediately. Although it is true that I was briefly married to Bobby Jarrel (not Gerrold) and did Xdn research on the Ship, I have never gone "nuts" nor have I ever locked my self in a bathroom for weeks. (Actually, I have been known through out my life to spend an unusually small amount of time in the bathroom for a female. The only excessive time I have ever spent in a bathroom was when I was a teenager and sneaking cigarettes although we are talking under an hour and certainly not weeks.) My family would be more than happy to attest to this matter. I should be noted that my father, brother, and sister are not Scientologists and would have no vested interest in saying otherwise. I did know Alan Waiters quite well but at no time did he talk me out of a bathroom in my parents home or any other bathroom. In fact Alan Waiters has never talked me out of any room nor have I locked myself in any room for any unusual amount of time. I would be interested in knowing the source of this information as it is supposedly 'my account,' There is another area brought up in you newsletter regarding Bobby Jarrell. This is a matter that I do have some information on as well. First I find it interesting that this good friend did not even know the correct spelling of Bobby's name or where he was from which is Fort Worth, Texas. Bobby did deny himself medical care at the consternation of the C/S and all his friends. (Scientologists to the one of them.) He also withheld health information from the same. If you knew Bobby you would have known that the man was very stubborn. He was finally forced to receive medical attention when his health was failing and by order of his case supervisor. Bobby received auditing until the day he died. He was never denied auditing. The statement he went bankrupt is absurd as Bobby never had anything to bankrupt. He also never paid for auditing. All his auditing was done as part of a co-audit or for free by his friends. Robert Maxwell could supply you with further details as he was there with Bobby throughout his last days. He was also Bobby's best friend. I will take these inaccuracies as unintentional and will assume that you will rectify this information immediately on your BB. I also expect an apolgoy. I would like to have access to your bulletin board and will be more than happy to send you a fee and postage for a copy of your correction. I have enclosed a SASE. Yours truly, ===================================================================== FACT NE'T 601 16th St, C 2i.-'~ Golden CO 80403 ~i!~711.-~ ! ~.(Z~, 1994 Dear FACT Net, I have .just been informed that you have included rny na~ne in your revised and updated list of people who allegedly "beca~t~e psychotic". Your source of information is completely and utterly unreliable. Further~t~ore I find this alleged state~nent about myself cor~pletely ridiculous. This person, the source of your informnation, could not possibly supply you with a date or or even an approximate date. The reason that there is no date supplied is simple .- it isn't true that I became psychotic ever. I have never been psychotic not now Or~ the contrary, Scientology has done nothing but ~t~ake ~ne ~uch r~ore aware and the benefits from ~t~y participatior, in it would take ~$~ore time and paper then I arn willing to devote to responding to the outrageous and ridiculous allegation. I a~ totally outraged by this allegation. I insist that you inkedlately delete ~y name from your list and arty other files or future ~iles you may create as your pathetic attempts to smear ~ny character will not be tolerated. I expec~ a for~al apology in writing within 10 days of receipt of this letter also rtotifyir~g r,~e that ~ny name has been re~,_-.ved from your 1 i st., I will not stand for ar~y further such allegations or being stated about I expect this apology to be forwarded to n~e ._-.n art i~,~e~ziiate bas i s.. S i ncere 1 y, Leslie Epstein 1710 Ivar Street, Los Angeles CA 90028 ===================================================================== July 4, 1994 FACTNet 601 16th Street #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80403 Re: My Letter to you of April 6, 1994 Demanding Retraction of My Wife's name from FACTNET Dear FACTNet: I wrote to you on April 6, 1994 demanding that you remove my wife's name from any of your files or literature or computerized data base. So far I have received no response from you. I am hereby reiterating this demand. Your literature contains false and defamatory material about my now deceased wife, Sally Chaleff Esterman. I am shocked that you would not even have the decency to respond to my letter. If I do not hear from you within 10 days I will assume that you have no intention of taking any action, and I will seek advice from my attorney. Sincerely, Mitch Este~an cc: District Attorneys Office Consumer Fraud Division ===================================================================== July 26, 1994 F.A.C.T. Net 601 16th Street, Suite C-217 Golden, CO 80403 Re: Demand for Retraction of False and Defamatory material Dear F.A.C.T. Net, I wrote to you on March 23, 1994 concerning false information which you have circulated about me, alleging that I had "psychotic episodes while on auditing." In my letter, I demanded that you retract my name from this document and from any further lists which you may publish. I have not received any response from you concerning this allegation, which I consider highly defamatory. If I do not hear from you within 10 days, I will consult my attorney and proceed with any appropriate legal action he may advise. T~ni Przy/~ John Magerowski 16 Fel I sway West ,..Tul y 26, 1994. Somervi I t e, MA. 02i4~:2~ ===================================================================== FACTNET 601 16th Street, Suite Golden, CO 80403 i)ear Si r, I have not received any rep~y to my ~etter of Apri~ 6, 1994, in which I demanded that you retract the false and s~anderous statements which you printed and circulated about my wife, Jann Borowski Magerowski. As stated in my previous ~etter, the a~ ~egations you made abo~.o~t my wife are completely groundless. I w._-.u~d expect that you wou~d at ~east ~ave the decency to respond to ~;'~y ~etter. This ~etter is to put you on notice that if you do not take action to remove any reference tc, her name from your materials within the next 15 days, I wi~ be forced to take ~ega~ action that my attorney deems appropriate. ~E:2~z e r e ~ v Y ._-. u r s, ]er,_~wski ~//John Mager_ 1 1 ===================================================================== March 30, 1994 President FACTNet 601 16th Street, Suite C-217 Golden, CO 80403 Regarding "Death, Psychosis and Scientology" Dear President: I have been alerted to the fact that your organization has recently compiled a document (named above) that lists my mother and step-father-- Lola and Bert Rossouw. The document alleges that they had psychotic episodes while on Scientology auditing. Whoever provided you with this information should also be able to give you the exact details of these reported "incidents". I await your response providing me with details so I can make my own verification. If you cannot provide specific details, I expect a written apology along with confirmation that any references to my mother and step- father have been completely removed from your document. It is my belief that your "allegation" is nothing more than rumor- mongering. I expect to receive something from you in writing within the next two weeks. Sincerely, ===================================================================== David Laubeher Barry Stein 1710 Ivar Ave. Suite 1011 Los Angeles, Ca., 90028 FACT Net 601 16th St., Ste C-217 Golden, Co. 80403 April 26 1994 Dear FACT Net It was recently brought to my attention that I have been referred to in an article of yours as having "become psychotic" from Scientology auditing. I find it shocking and appalling that someone whom I have never met nor dealt with in any manner would, with no provocation whatsoever, choose to issue so slanderous an attack on my character. My personal wins and gains from Scientology are a matter of record, and I might even assume that my public expression of this is ironically your source of my name as a Scientologist. I do not intend to waste my time listing for you the benefits that I have personally achieved from Scientology, but I will say that they are sufficient for me to have sustained a dedicated participation for the past two decades, which I have no intention of mitigating in any forseeable future. I consider your implication that my religion has impaired my sanity to be libelous beyond reproach and demand that you delete my name from your list as well as any files you maintain or intend to create, as I do not intend abide such defamation of character. I might add that my choice of religious activity is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, and your attack far exceeds a mere personal arena. Within 10 days of your receipt of this letter, I will expect a formal written apology and verification that my name has been' deleted from you~'iist. /~. i Barry ~teln i/ IA /,~ /i ~e~eZ~, ~ 95969 ===================================================================== June 22, 1994 ~nsumer Fraud Unit District Attorney's Office 1726 ~le ~ulevard, ~300 Golden, CO 80401 Re: F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. 601 16th St., Ste. C-217 Golden, CO 80401 TO ~OM IT ~Y CONCERN: F.A.C.T.Net, an organization in Golden, ~1orado, is distributing a document entitled CORRE~ONS ~ ~DI~ONS TO ~E J~~Y 3, 1994 QUES~O~RE "DEA~, PSYCHOSIS, and SCIE~OLOGY" which on page 7 of same mentions my name and makes referen~ to my father. Specifi~lly, it says: 1981 M~ell, Robert and ????? cancer RobeH M~ell. Robet~ and h~ &d were Flag public. An~, ~ sam that Robea's father developd te~inal (I think) cancer, but dMn't have to quit auditing because he heard (at Flag? I think so) that you couM cure cancer by drinking roc~t fuel, and he dM, and it cured the cancer, and he kept getting h~ auditing. I don't know what happenal to Robeli or h~ &d after the, which was around 1981, I thin~ For your clarification, "~ag" is a reference to the Church of Scientolo~ headquarters in Clea~ater, ~orida. "Auditing" is a reference to pastoral ~unseling delivered by a minister of the Church of Scientolo~. ~e information referenced above is hlse. My hther has never been dia~osed as having terminal cancer nor did he drink rocket ~el to cure it. Bat's more, this information makes us sound like a ~uple of idiots. On March 31, 1994 I wrote to F.A.C.T. Net requesting that they remove my name from their literature and that they ~nfirm to me in writing that they had done so. I have received no res~nse to that letter from F.A.C.T.Net. I would appreciate any assistance you can provide in getting this organization to cease distribution of hlse information about myself and my hther. ~ank you, ~: F.A.C.T.Net enc: 1. CORRE~ONS ~ ~DI~ONS TO ~E J~U~Y 3, 1994 QUES~O~RE "DEA~, PSYCHOSIS, and SCIE~OLOGY", ~ver sheet and page 7 only 2. ~tter to F.A.C.T.Net dated March 31, 1994 ===================================================================== March 31, 1994 FACIlq'ET 601 161h Street ~C217 Golden, CO 80403 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: It has come to my attention that FACINET is distributing literature containing my name in connection with some project concerning possible lellaI action against the Church of Sdentology. I have not given FACTNET permission to use my name, nor do I have any intention of doing Furthermore, I strongly object to your me of my name in connection with this or any other activities FACINET might choose to undertake, ._. Please immediately remove my name from any of your literature and notify me in writing that you have doric so. ================================================================= If this is a copyrighted work, you are acknowledging by receipt of this document from FACTNet that on the basis of reasonable investigation, you have not been to obtain a copy elsewhere at a fair price, and that you are and will abide by the following copyright warning. WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photo copies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified by law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. FACTNet reserves the right to refuse to accept an order for copying or other duplication, or delivery of copied or duplicated material if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: E:\PCB\SCNR\FILES\ANTILTRS.TXT DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: SECURITY CODE: DISTRIBUTION CODE: NAME FOR BBS: SORT TO: CONTRIBUTOR: LOC. OF ORIG: NOTES: For additional verification see image files contained in the file with same name and .ZIP extension. UPDATED ON: UPDATED BY: F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. (Fight Against Coercive Tactics Network, Incorporated) a non-profit computer bulletin board and electronic library 601 16th St. #C-217 Golden, Colorado 80401 USA BBS 303 530-1942 FAX 303 530-2950 Office 303 473-0111 This document is part of an electronic lending library. F.A.C.T.Net does not sell documents, it only lends them according to the terms of your library cardholder agreement with F.A.C.T.Net, Inc. ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD CATALOG ENTRY DOS FILENAME OF TEXT FILE: antiltrs.txt (see also file "051494.TXT") DOS FILENAME OF IMAGE FILES: ADMINISTRATIVE CODE: SECURITY CODE: DISTRIBUTION CODE: NAME FOR BBS: SORT TO: CONTRIBUTOR: letters sent to FACTNet by various people LOC. OF ORIG: NOTES: The content of letters received by FACTNet alleging inaccuracies in the "Death, Psychosis and Scientology" questionnaire, and/or demanding retraction of the information it contained, are reproduced here so the contrary information can be made immediately available. The letters were optically scanned and processed by the best commercial optical character regognition software available -- the same process we use to post other material on the BBS. The OCR process is highly imperfect and produces numerous errors although usually leaving the sense of the text intact, except that OCR is not possible on handwritten documents which therefore do not appear. Manual correction is beyond our resources. Any denials or correction of factual matters which have been sent to us will first appear here in the best form in which we can quickly make it available. For additional verification see image files contained in the file with same name and .ZIP extension. UPDATED ON: UPDATED BY: =================================================================